System of Higher Education
Russia is in the process of migrating from its traditional tertiary education model, incompatible with existing Western academic degrees, to a modernized degree structure in line with Bologna Process model.Structure of Education System in Russia Lectures: this programme takes a look at a range of techniques to make listening to lectures easier. =Higher Education in Russia= Introduction After the breakup of the erstwhile Soviet Union, the Russian education system inherited much of its characteristics. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, spend on education witnessed tremendous decline and accordingly the quality of education became poor. Under these circumstances, the newly set up state and private institutions had huge responsibilities on their shoulders. With the passage of time, many private higher educational institutions have been set up whereas the state also has taken active interest in improving the quality of education. Both public and private accredited higher educational institutions are providing higher education in the country. Basic higher education that lasts for four years leads to the first university degree. This degree is equivalent to B.Sc degree provided in the US or Western Europe. The postgraduate higher education has duration of 5 to 6 years or more. Students get the Master’s degree after the completion of two years. After completing the Master’s, students can go for the doctoral programmes. Entry to the top universities in the country is based on competition. This ensures that only quality students either from Russia itself or abroad get admitted into the institutions. Cost factor is another area that needs mention. For the quality of education that Russian universities provide, tuition fees are comparatively lower. Tuition fees for degree programme can range between $2000 and $8000 a year while other expenses such as room & board, books, etc. costing another $1500 to $5000 every year. Of course, these charges depend on the location where one is going to stay and spending habits. Of late, Russian universities have also started offering courses for the public and specific professional needs. More than 880 higher education institutions in the country offer a wide number of programmes that include both research and study programmes. There are preparatory courses for foreign students wherein an intensive training in Russian language is provided. Refresher courses in the chosen field of study is also provided. Admission Season in Russia The academic year in Russia begins in the first week of September and lasts for ten months before ending in the last week of June. Application for admission to various study programmes can be submitted by the 15 May of the year in which the student wishes to start his studies. Foreign students also need to sit for the qualifying examination before being able to commence their programmes. Move towards Bologna Process Russiais in the process of migrating from its traditional tertiary education model, incompatible with existing Western academic degrees, to a modernized degree structure in line with Bologna Process model. (Russia co-signed the Bologna Declaration in 2003.) In October 2007 Russia enacted a law that replaces the traditional five-year model of education with a two-tiered approach: a four-year bachelor (Russian: бакалавр) degree followed by a two-year master's (Russian: магистр) degree.[54] The move has been criticized for its merely formal approach: instead of reshaping their curriculum, universities would simply insert a BSc/BA accreditation in the middle of their standard five or six-year programs. The job market is generally unaware of the change and critics predict that a stand-alone BSc/BA diplomas will not be recognized as "real" university education in the foreseeable future, rendering the degree unnecessary and undesirable without further specialization. Institutions like MFTI or MIFI have practiced two-tier breakdown of theirs pecialist programs for decades and switched to Bologna process designations well in advance of the 2007 law, but an absolute majority of their students complete all six years of MSc/MA (formerly specialist) curriculum, regarding BSc/BA stage as useless in real life. Student mobility among universities has been traditionally discouraged and thus kept at very low level; there are no signs that formal acceptance of Bologna process will help students seeking better education. Finally, while the five-year specialist training was previously free to all students, the new MSc/MA stage is not. The shift forces students to pay for what was free to the previous class; the cost is unavoidable because the BSc/BA degree alone is considered useless.Defenders of Bologna process argue that the final years of the specialist program were formal and useless: academic schedules were relaxed and undemanding, allowing students to work elsewhere. Cutting the five-year specialist program to a four-year BSc/BA will not decrease the actual academic content of most of these programs. Post-graduate levels Postgraduate diploma structure so far retains its unique Soviet pattern established in 1934. The system makes a distinction between scientific degrees, evidencing personal postgraduate achievement in scientific research, and related but separate academic titles, evidencing personal achievement in university-level education. There are two successive postgraduate degrees: Candidate of science and Doctor of science. Both are a certificate of scientific, rather than academic, achievement, and must be backed up by original/novel scientific work, evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals and a dissertation defended in front of senior academic board. The titles are issued by Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education. A degree is always awarded in one of 23 predetermined fields of science, even if the underlying achievement belongs to different fields. Thus it is possible to defend two degrees of Candidate independently, but not simultaneously; a Doctor in one field may also be a Candidate in a different field. Candidate of sciencecan be achieved within university environment (when the university is engaged in active research in the chosen field), specialised research facilities or within research and development units in industry. Typical Candidate of science path from admission to diploma takes 2–4 years. The dissertation paper should contain a solution of an existing scientific problem, or a practical proposal with significant economical or military potential.[56] The title is perceived as equivalent to Western Ph.D. Doctor of science, the next stage, implies achieving significant scientific output. This title is often equated to the German or Scandinavian habilitation. The dissertation paper should summarize the author's research resulting in theoretical statements that are qualified as a new discovery, or solution of an existing problem, or a practical proposal with significant economical or military potential. The road from Candidate to Doctor typically takes 10 years of dedicated research activity; one in four candidates reaches this stage. The system implies that the applicants must work in their research field full time; however, the degrees in social sciences are routinely awarded to active politicians. Academic titles of associate professor (доцент) and professor are issued to active university staff who already achieved degrees of Candidate or Doctor; the rules prescribe minimum residency term, authoring established study textbooks in their chosen field, and mentoring successful postgraduate trainees; special, less formal rules apply to professors of arts. Military postgraduate education radically falls out of the standard scheme. It is provided by the military academies; unlike their Western namesakes, they are postgraduate institutions. Passing the course of an academy does not result in an explicitly named degree (although may be accompanied by a research for Candidate of Science degree) and enables the graduate to proceed to a certain level of command (equivalent of battalion commander and above). Контрольные задания для самостоятельной работы на семинаре: 1. How long doesbasic higher education last to get the first university degree? 2. When do the students get the Master’s degree? 3. What is entry to the top universities in the country based on? 4. How many higher education institutions are there in the country and what do they provide? 5. How does Russia move towards Bologna Process? 6. What pattern does postgraduate diploma structure retain?